Punjab government has set a target of producing 91 million fish seed and 89,000 tons of fish during the financial year 2013-14. While efforts will be made to enhance area under fish farms in private sector in the province to 56,900 acres during the same period.
According to the sources in the Punjab fisheries department, the government has allocated Rs 158 million to the department for the current fiscal to conserve, manage and develop aquatic resources in public and private sectors to meet the protein requirement of the growing population of the province.
The sources further said that the objective of the strategy adopted by the provincial fisheries department is to increase fish production through better exploitation of natural aquatic resources, promotion of fish farming in private sector through institutional and logistic support and aquaculture research and conservation programme focusing on disease control, genetics, protection of vulnerable species and productivity enhancement.
During the current year, the department will start working on five new schemes which include establishment of fish seed rearing farm for production of large size fish seed and biological diversification in Chashma District Mianwali with an estimated cost of Rs 100 million. The government has allocated Rs 10 million for the scheme during the current year for initiation of work, the sources added.
Another strategic intervention planned by the department for the current year is production of fingerlings of culturable fish species during winter season with an estimated cost of Rs 35 million. The project will be under taken at Sheikhupura, Farooqabad. Besides this, the department has planned to undertake research and propagation of mono-sex Tilapia and launching a mass motivation campaign for promotion of fisheries.
While the department will also continue working on another ongoing scheme for capacity building of existing fish seed hatchery and nursery units for productivity enhancement with an estimated cost of Rs 21 million allocated for the current fiscal year, the sources concluded.
